We arrived back in Calgary yesterday afternoon and I’m still recovering today from a most tiresome vacation. It was so relaxing however we somehow wore ourselves out. It was probably from all the walking we did! I loved Montreal and would like to go back again someday however I will not go back in the winter time because it was so cold! And windy too, which made it even worse. Still, I very much enjoyed our little trip. I think I’ll gradually post photos; today will be shots of our hotel room. We had the best hotel, it was so sweet and quiet.

First, this is our set-up of all our documents. I spread them out on the table and Conor and I went through our checklist and then we packed ‘em all up!

Our room:

Our double doors into our room… there’s about a foot and a half between each door. Our room had two sets of doors and each set had this same set up. One doorway entered the kitchen and the other went to the main foyer.

This homemade chandelier hung in the main entrance. I feel rather inspired by it and would love to duplicate it. It’s absolute gorgeous!

All in all we had a fabulous time. It was a great trip!

We got what we came for! Woo hoo! We were anticipating being at the consulate for 5 hours and were only there for an hour and a half. The interview was a piece of cake; the interviewer was hilarious and upbeat. It felt as though I was approved before we even went in for the questions. So… my immigration visa will land in Calgary in about a week and I’ll receive my greencard in about 2 months. This means that we’ll be coming back to Denver next weekend. YES!

Merci beacoup to everyone that has prayed and fasted for us. This has been a month of miracles for our little family and we’re so excited and grateful to be recipients of so many blessings.

Hello from Montreal! We’re having so much fun! The first day was a little rough as predicted. The plane ride was awful. It was extreme. So our first night we slept for about 12 hours or so. We just couldn’t stay awake! I would love to post some photos however our internet connection is ridiculously slow. We’ve been having an absolutely fabulous time; we love Montreal. Great food, great people, great shopping! All of the shops downtown are at least 2 stories including Urban Outfitters, the Apple Store and H&M is 3 stories (surprisingly I couldn’t find anything for me). We’ve been to the Basilique Notre Dame, Parc Monte Royale and the Museum of Fine Arts where we saw an Andy Warhol Exhibit which I loved. We couldn’t help but buy some prints at the end of it! Last night we had the most amazing poutine at a bit of a dumpy place called Peters, however it was one of the best and we just happened to stumble upon it. The guy that served us also served Ray Romano. He told us, “it was emotional for him and it was emotional for me too.” Ha! I’ll make sure to post how our interview goes….

Prepare for a photo overload! It was a big and busy weekend indeed. Conor was spoiled to death and so was I. I love Conor’s birthday because there are lots of gifts that seem to double over to me too! Like the crib board and cards my parents gave Conor, and Uno and Sorry Sliders that the Cranmers and Larsens gave Conor. Yes!

Well here they are folks. Special thanks to Liz for taking photos during the gift opening.

My Sistas:

Martha cheese balls (soooo good!):

Conor demonstrating how to spread and eat:

2/5 of the N&Ns:

There’s a reason why Seger is so fat. I’ve never seen a kid that lights up so quickly as soon as someone hands him something to eat. He clucks at you if he wants what you’re eating.

Gramma Muirhead’s Orange Chiffon Cake:

Freyja and Moi:

Seger and Conor, strangely alike:

Gifts:

For Conor, I spray painted a couple of shirts. One says my little nickname for him, “C-DAWG.” We’ll see how they wash up; I had some friends in high school who used to do this and it seemed to work just dandy! Oh and a sweeeet watch he’s been eyeing for a long time! Yes! I love spoiling Conor.

It’s been a big week around here. And we’re entering a big weekend with lots of partying because my man is turning the big 2-4 on Monday.

Here’s what we’ll be up to (in case you care):
Saturday: Dinner at McNeills. Sea of yorkshire pudding.
Sunday: Dinner with Muirheads. Um, ham and cake.
Monday: (the big day) breakfast of eggs benedict and gift opening (squeal! I can’t wait!)

And next week, we’re heading out to Montreal (another squeal!). Our flight leaves Calgary at 1 AM Tuesday morning so I have a feeling that our first day there is going to be a little rough especially for me. Imagine a person who, as a child, begged her mommy to let her take a nap at 4pm daily only to be denied, yes imagine that child all grown up and getting on a plane at 1 AM only to get off at 5:30ish AM (or 7:30ish AM in Montreal) and make it through the day without being grouchy or a zombie. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking than you are thinking, impossible. And, I’m so sorry for Conor. Or you’re thinking that I’m setting myself up for failure.

Please cross your fingers, toes, arms and legs for us! Send us all your luck! I need a green card. And fortunately I think Heavenly Father knows I need one too. Still, prayers are welcome!